In Charles Green Shaw’s diary from 1963–64 in the exhibit, A Day in the Life: Artists’ Diaries from the Archives of American Art, the artist records detailed but succinct accounts of events throughout the day. These short declarative sentences state the time at which he awoke in the morning, what he read, whom he saw and what work he accomplished in the studio.
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Archives of American Art Blog
Read the first-hand perspectives from the staff who preserve and document the history of the visual arts in America.
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March 5, 2015 | Guest Authors
Artists on Diaries: Sol LeWitt's Postcards
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February 27, 2015 | Guest Authors
Artists on Diaries: Drawing, writing, thinking
In his 1946 diary, Joseph Cornell utilized an advertisement for a bedside lamp that he’d clipped from a publication to evoke the night of dreams he’d had the previous evening (May 16th). The way he communicated the intensity of the dreams, and the sense of the day that followed, underscore the fact that all his experiences were interwoven into his work. -
February 20, 2015 | Guest Authors
Artists on Diaries: The Call to Action
In the previous blog post of this series, Sarah Schmerler described how her friend Martin Wilner’s work inspired a series of drawings made while riding the New York City Subway. When I asked Wilner to tell us more about his projects, he began by citing Henry Mosler’s diary, on view in the exhibition A Day in the Life: Artists’ Diaries from the Archives of American Art. -
February 13, 2015 | Guest Authors
Artists on Diaries: Traveling in Place
Bernarda Bryson Shahn’s appointment book in the show A Day in the Life: Artists’ Diaries from the Archives of American Art, is filled with events. None of the entries are simple reminders of upcoming appointments—nearly every word in the book is adorned, embellished, or festooned in some manner. -
January 28, 2015 | Guest Authors
Artists on Diaries: Sunspot Diary
Although some artists I’ve spoken to recently do keep proper diaries, most have found other diary-like activities that document their joys, concerns, interests and goings-on. For many, posting updates on social media satisfies that need.